Variable-speed-transmission mechanism.



M. F. WEBSTER. VARIABLE SPEED TRANM|SSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26', 1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

[will]? Ma 40% liq lulsAfimmfigs Witnesses TzYMA 12 f W 5 M. F. WEBSTER.

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 19m.

1 1 36, 1 88. Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

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By his Aliorneysf MELVIN F. WEBSTER, 0F MIHNEAIOLEEL FENNESOTA.

VARIABLE-s EEn-TnANsMissiori MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed ii, pr. 2&5, 1915.

Applicafilon filed February 26, 1914. Serial No. 821,131.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN F. Wnns'rnn, a citizen of the United States residing at Minneapolis, in the county of l lennepin and State of Minnesota, have ihvented certain .new and useful Improvements in Variableconnection with automobiles or other'muchines wherein it is desired to impart variable speed to an element or member that is drivenfrom a constantly running shaft or driving element.

, Generally stated, the invention consists. of the novel devices and combinations of the claims.

My invention contemplates the use of a multiplicity of cylinders and pistons and cooperating meens for successively and progressively operating'the pistons," the saidcylinders heing' connected in an endless series by a circulating conduit containing oil or other suitable fluid. In the oil conduit between the-connected cylinders are check valves which cause the oil to flow from one cylinder to another in a constant direction,

and in the said conduits etween said cylin-" ders are also choke valves, so-called, by means of which the circulation of the 011 may be more or less re ricted or entirely cut oil. Preferably, th pistons'are progrcssively operated by appcts, or projections, or. cum head that is connected to the casting or element conta ning the cylinders und conncctin; conduit, t irough on external gear on the said cam head that XUUslltS with an internal gear on the said casting. When the choke valves are closed to cut oil circulntionof the oil in the circulating conduit, the pistons cannot move; and the arrange nient is such that when the pistons cannot move, they will he locked to the cum hood. and the casting under such conditions will be caused to rotate with the cam head.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the improved transmission mechanism in a form that have found to be operative in uuluul practice.

lefcrring to the tlrnwin m, whcrrio like characters indicate like per throuyrlmut the several views: Figure l :1 side elevzr tion with some parts broken away, =1 nd some pnrts'scCt-ioned, showing the improved tronsmission tnechnnism: Fig. 2 a. section taken approximately on the irregular lino r on Fig. 1, some parts being shown in loll; Fig. 3 is av detail in section on the l ne .12 #3 on Fig. 2; end Fig. 4 is asection tslren approximately on the line 00* m on F; 2.

The numeral 1 indicates s shaft which maybe assumed to be a constantly driv ng member end which should be mounted, in fixed bearings, one of which is shown in part in Fig. 2 and is designated by the nu merel 2.

The numeral 3 indicates nrctsry cylinder hearing casting or head, the hub of which through stufling boxes 5 applied to the inner extremities thereof, are pistons 6 of very simple form being, as shown, made of straight cylinder steel rods. The inner ends.

of the pistons 6 are shownas provided with peripherally notched heads 7 that engage shoulders in the cooperating cylinders and limit the inward movements of the piston. Inward movements of the pistons are here treated as the movements which carry the some inward towurd or near the axis or The outer extr mities of the several cylinders 4 open into on endless oil circulating conduit 8 that connects all of the cylinders in a circuit. As shown, there are four cylinders and four ooiipcrnting pistons. circulating conduit 8, hetween each. cylinder is a. choke valve 9 and a-yicldingly closed check valve 10. The check valves 10 permit circulation of the oil in the conduit 8 only in the direction of the arrows marked thereon on Fig. 4. The choke valves 9 are preferably arranged to be simultaneously operated cit-her while the cylinder casting 3 is stutiorery or when it is being rotated; and. as shown, this is accomplished by means oi n sliding sleeve 11 mounted on the'huh li, of n dish-like furl: plate 13 which is secured to h otlwrwisv. open side of the cylinder In the casting, and which sleeve is connected'by links 14 to hort arms on the ends of the outwardly pro ecting stems 9 of the said choke valves 8. The valve operating sleeve 11 is grooved for the ap 'lication of one of a projection of an or inary shlpper lever, not shown. r

The c linder casting 3, outward of the open en s of the cylinders 4 is, as shown, formed with detachable secured in position with h by machine screws, tire circulating cond tions of the cylinders 4 oil or other suitable li casting 3, inward of t circulating conduit 8, ally offset therefrom, centric cavity internal s has its aXl shaft 3. Keyed, or otherwise rigidly secured to that end of the shaft 1 that pro ects into the cylinder casting 3 is an eecentr I center of which is eccentric to-the shaft axis a and is at a point marked 6 on Fig. 4. Loosely journaled on the eccentric 19 1s a cam head 20 that is gear 21 and a three pointjcam or tap et acting portion 22. The gear 21 meshes with the internal gear 18 or tap et portion 22 is oflsetther from and locate in the plane of the piston with its points arranged to progressively. and successively engage the inner ends of the said pistons. I

With the arrangement shown, wherein there are four pistons and three piston engaging projecti relation of the ternal gear 21 quid tight joints or otherwise. The enshould be filled with uid. The cylinder e cylinders 4 and and preferably lateris formed with 'an ecin which is rigidly secured an 40 internal gear 18 to. the ex;

should be in 'the, ratio of four to three. For example, if the internal gear has forty-four teeth, then the external gear should have thirty-three'teeth. The hub of the cylinder .castin 3 is provided with a gear 23 .for transmitt ng motion from the cylinder casting to some other driven part; but this gear 23isonly one'of the three different. devices that may be used for this purpose. The shaft 1 is the driving member and the 'cylinder casting .3 the and the three-point camv F 4, tion 0 Jdnits, the sp plates l6' rigidly nit 8 and outerend por- 'ing ower, will depend on the extent to to rotate with the driving shaft 1 just as if it were-keyed thereto. When however, the choke valves-9 are moved intoopen positions, they rmit a circulation offthe oil from one cy nder to the. other through the conduit 8 in the direction of the arrows in already noted. When this circula the oil is permittedin the said con- I eed under which the pistons d outward under a given drivcan be force whic the said choke -valves are opened. Assuming that the valves 9 are in open positions and that the driving shaft 1 and eccentric-19 are rotated in the direction of the arrow marked 0 on Fi 4, the internal gear 18 and casing 3 will. erotated'in the pur gear 18. This spur gear 18" s concentricto the axis a of the c 19, the

p the same outward. If t e choke provided with a spur conduit 8, the on ons on the tappet 22, the

ato the c' cnlat'on o the cyli of speed from the const.

drivenmember of the transmission mechanism pro er. With t e operation 0 substantially the shaft 1 is continuousl driven, in the direction of c on Fig. 4. all closed of the oil will be l and thet to the go the sairl arts arranged described, the 55 y and constantly the arrow marked If now, the choke valves 9 are 30 so that there can be no circulation ockcd against outward movement appct 22am] gear 21 will be locked or 18 and cylinder casting, so that 'ylinder casting will then be caused the transmission. mechanism is. d as follows: First, assume" that.

in the conduit 8, all of the pistons same direction, but at a slower's eed; 7 cause the gear 21 and cam 22 will t en have a lagging or retarded rotation around the axis of said eccentric 19 in the direction of the arrow marked d on Fig. 4. Under this rotation, the threepoints of the tappet 22 will progressively and successively entg'age the inner ends )of .the istons', 6 and 0rce'90 valves 9 be, v the oil we bevery freely circu- ,rom one o lin er to the other in the y resistance being the friction of the wall of the conduit with the oil, which is negligible, and the-slight forcerequired to open the check valves 10. Hence, under such wide open adjustments of the choke valves, the oil .will be circulatedso. freely that the gear 2]. will simply run loose within the-gear 18 and the cylinder casting will stand still, if in fact, 7 y considerable resistance to its movement is offered.

'As the choke valves 9 are'moved from open toward closed wide 0 n lated the oil increases and er eating and its gear 18 commence t 'Irotate, and the speed of rotation progress ely increases under closing movements of said choke valves until they par-' take of the common rotation of said driving shaft. Hence, by the proper adjustments of the said choke valves, the cylinder castin'g can be caused to rotate atany'desircd rate antly --'run'ning shaft. Obviously, the pistons will be given their inward movements bythe pressure of oil de-' livered against the outer ends thereof, by the pressure of the oil in the respective cyliners.

' In the Specification and in certain of the claims, the shaft is treated as the driving member-and the c linder casting as the driven member of e variable speed transmission mechanism, but it will be understood that the relation of the said parts may be reversed, that is, the cylinder casting may he the driving member and the shaft the driven member. Otherwise stated, it 'will be within the scope of this invention, as 130 ositions, the resistance 1'05.

40 tric to the axis of'said driving shaft, but

7 vidcd with a driving eccentric, a piston support carrying a plurality of circumferentially spaced pistons, and provided with chambers within which said pistons are movable, thee-aid chambers being connected in an endless series, and a cam carried by said eccentric and rotatably driven with'a timed action from said piston support and eccentric and operative, progressively, and successively on saidpistons.

2. In a variable speed transmissionmechanism, the combination with a shaft provided with a driving eccentric, of a cylinder casting having its axis of rotation concentric to the axis of said driving shaft but capable of rotation independent thereof, said cylinder casting having a multiplicity of cylinders and a circulating conduit connecting said cylinders in an endless series, pistons Working in said cylinders, an internal gear carried by said cylinder casting, a spur gear 'jour'naledon andcarried by the driving eccentric of said driving shaft and provided with a tappet having a' multiplicity of points arranged to progressively and successively engage the inner ends ofsaid pistons and force the same outward, and a choke valve in said circulating conduit for cutting oil or allording a variableresistance to the circulation of liquid therethrough. I

3. In a variable speed transmission-mechanis'm, the combination with a shaft provided with a driving eccentric, of a cylinder castinghaving its axis of rotation concencapable of rotation independent thereof, said cylinder casting havinga multiplicity of cylinders and a circulating conduit connecting said cylinders in an endless series, pistons working in said cylinders, aninternal gear carried bysaid cylinder casting, a' spur gear journaled on'andcarried by the driving eccentric of said driving shaft and provided with act-appct having a multiplic-.

ity of points arranged to progressively and successively engage the inner ends of said pistons and force the same outward, and check valves and choke'valves in said circulating conduit between said pistons.

4. In a variable speed transmission niechanism, the combination with a shaft pro.-

vided with a-driving eccentric, of a cylinder casting having its axis of rotation concentric to the axis of said driving shaft, but capable of rotation independent thereof, said cylinder casting having a multiplicity of cylinders and a circulating conduit'connecting said cylinders'in an endless series, pistons Working in said cylinders, an internal gear carried by said cylinder casting, a spur gear journaled on and carried by the driving eccentric of said driving shaft and provided with a tappet having a multiplicityof points arranged to progressively and successively engage the inner ends of said pistons and force the same outward, check valves and choke valves in said circulating conduit between said pistons, and a'valve actuating device arranged to impart simultaneous and like adjustments to sald choke valves.

5. The combinationwith a shaft and a cylinder casting loosely j'ournaled thereon,

a .tapp'et head provided with a multiplicity oi points operative progressively and successively on the inner ends of said pistons,

the number of operating points of said tappet being less than the number of said pistons, and the teeth of said internal gear being the same numerical ratio to the'teeth of said external gear, that the number of pistons bear to the number of points of said tappet. v

, In testimony Whercoi I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' MELVIN F. VEBSTER. Witnesses:

r HAnn-Y D. KILconE, F. D. MERCHANT. 

